Secondary electric clock.



E. F. GEIGBR. SECONDARY ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1914.

1,121,347, Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Inventor hisAflonwys nnwnnn r. enrenn, or nunurn, mnnnsorn.

SECONDARY ELECTRIC CLOCK Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed January 31, 1914. Serial No. 815,679.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD F. GEIGER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St.Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Secondary Electric Clocks; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and eiiicientelectro-mechanical movement adapted for general use to produce step bystep rotary motion, and to such ends, generally stated, the inventionconsists of the novel devices and combination of devices hereinafterdescribed and defined in the claims. A motion producing device of thecharacter above indicated, is especially adapted for use in secondaryclocks of electric clock systems, wherein the hands of the secondaryclock are moved forward at regular intervals; and the said devices arealso well adapted for use inself- Winding clocks wherein the main springis re-wound at regular intervals. In accordance with my invention Iutilize the pull of an electro-magnet to displace a pendulumlikepropelling lever from a neutral point of suspension, thereby storing uppotential energy in the displaced lever, and then utilizing the momentumor inertia of the said lever under backward swinging movement to neutralposition, to impart the step by step intermittent movement to a rotaryelement of the secondary clock or other mechanism operated by thedevice.

In carrying out the broad idea of my invention, I provide a two-partpropelling lever, or, otherwise stated, I provide primary and secondarypropelling levers so arranged that in swinging from the neutral positionof suspension, the secondary lever \vill'cause a movement of the primarylever and the primary lever is free to swing on after the secondarylever has reached the limit of its displacement, but with the saidprimary lever arranged on return swinging movement to neutral position,to mpart an operative movement to the secondary-lever, exerting-thereonall of the potential energy stored .up on the said primary propell nglever.

.One embodiment of the trated inthe single view of drawings,

invention is illuswhich shows portions of the master clock together withthe electric circuit containing the same. Of the parts of the masterclock, it is only necessary to note the escapement wheel 1 which carrieselectrical contacts 2, and the pendulum 3 which carriesescapementpallets 4: and an electric contact 5. The escapement wheel 1 has sixtyteeth, and in the arrangement illustrated, is shown as provided with twodiametrically opposite contacts 2 that are adapted to be alternately andintermittently engaged with the contact 5 which is carried by thependulum 3. The said pendulum 3 is pivoted at 6. The electric contact 5,as shown, is secured to the head 7 of the pendulum, and is-adapted to beadjusted byia-set screw 8 applied to the end of an arm 9 which is alsosecured to the said pendulum head 7.

Of the parts of the secondary clock, the numeral 10 indicates a shaftthat is connected to the ordinary change gear of the clock. This changeshaft 10 carries a spur gear 11 that meshes with a spur pinion 12 thatis secured to rotate with the propelling wheel 13 of the said secondaryclock. This propelling wheel 13 has sixty teeth, and in the arrangementillustrated, the gear 11 has twice as many teeth as the pinion 12, sothat the change gear shaft 10 will be given one rotation for each tworotations of the pr0- pelling wheel 13; The teeth of the propellingwheel 13 are, as shown, engaged by three gravity-held dogs 14, 15 and16, that are pivoted to suitable supports not shown. The-propellingwheel is arranged to rotate in the direction of the arrow markedthereon,-and the dog 14 prevents backward rotations thereof, while thedogs 15 and 16 operate as lock dogs, normally preventing forwardrotation of the said wheel. The lock dogs 15 and 16, at their free ends,have laterally projecting pins 17 and 18, respectively, hat are adaptedto be alternately engaged by the ends of the releasing bar 19,

that is carried by the lower end of a propelling bar 20, which -latteris" suspended frompivots at its upper end 20; A pendulum-like weightedarm 21, isprovided with a weighted lower end, and at its upper end, ispivotally suspended at 21 from the intermediate portion of thepropelling bar 20, and normally engages with a stop pin, stud orprojection 22 ca ried by thelower end of the said propelling bar.'

- The numeral indicates adr v ng dog which is pivoted to the propellingbar 20- and engages with the teeth of the propellin wheel 13. Anarmature 24, which is secure to the iropelling bar 20, is subject to arelatively hxed electro-rnagnet 25. For the purpose of this case, it maybe assumed that the contact 5 which is carried by the pendulum of themaster clock, is insulated therefrom and from other metallic parts ofthe master clock mechanism. The numeral 26 indicates a wire that isextended from the master clock contact 5 to one terminal of theelectro-magnet 25, and the numeral, 26 indicates another wire which isextended from the other terminal of the said electro-magnet, and throughmetallic parts of the master clock mechanism, is connected to thecontacts 2 thereof. The numeral 27 indicates a battery or source ofelectrical energy interposed in the said circuit between the masterclock and the electro-magnet of the secondary clock, which circuit may,of course, be of any deslred length, and constitutes what may bedesignated as the controlling circuit.

With the above described arrangement, it is evident that the controllingcircuit will be closed intermittently and for very short intervals oftime, to-wit, while the contact 5 is in engagement with one or the otherof the contacts 2 of the master clock. The escapement wheel 1 of themaster clock makes one rotation each minute, and consequently, the abovenoted contact and closing of the controlling circuit will occur everyhalf minute.

Whenever the controlling circuit is closed, as just described, themagnet 25 of the secondary clock will, of course, be energized,it willattract the armature 24 and swing the complete or two-part propellinglever of the said secondary clock toward the right in respect to thedrawing. Movement of the propolling lever 20 towardthe right willprimarily accomplish three things; namely, re-

lease of the pawl, or look dog 15, from the engagement of the toothedwheel 13'and the dropping of pawl, or look dog 16 upon the teeth of thepropelling wheel 13 so as to allow a rotation of one space to saidpropelling wheel, and engagement of the driving dog 23 with anothertooth at the right on the said propelling lever wheel. But this swingingmovement of the said propelling lever to the right, of course, carrieswith it the weighted arm 20. When the armature 24: engages the core ofthe magnet 25, the propelling lever 20 will be stopped, but the weightedarm 21 is free to swing toward the right until its momentum is overcomeby gravity.

About the time that the movement of the weight arm toward the right isthus overcome by gravity, the contact 5 of the master clock will, by aswinging movement of the pendulum 3 of the master clock toward thetrical impulse is rendered effective to drive the propelling wheel ofthe secondary clock.

Movement of the propelling lever toward the left, imparts movement tothe propelling wheel 13 through bar 19, releases the lock dog 16 anddrops the lock dog 15 back into, operative "position, and thus, preventsthe propelling wheel from being moved more than one tooth in thedirection of the arrow. Preferably, the arrangement is such that thepropelling lever in moving toward the left, moves into its lowestposition. One or the other of the lock dogs 1516 will always beoperative to prevent over rotation of the propelling wheel 13. Thepivoted bar 20 and weighted arm 21 constitute a two-part propellinglever. Also in a very proper sense and for the sake of definition, thelever 21 may be treated as a primary propelling lever, and the bar orlever 20 as a secondary propelling lever.

In the construction illustrated, the change gear shaft 10 of thesecondary clock, which tacts 2 are carried by the escapement wheel ofthe master clock. This is a desirable arrangement for large clocks, butfor com paratively small clocks, the propelling wheel 13 of thesecondary clock, may be directly connected to the change gear shaft,and, in this instance, the escapement wheel of the master'clock wouldrequire but one contact 2. On the other hand, if the change gear shaftof the secondary clock should be geared to the propelling wheel thereof,for rotation at the rate of one to four, then the escapement wheel ofthe master clock should have four contacts set on quarters. As isevident, one contact carried by the escapement wheel of the master clockwould cause the secondary clock to be operated every minute, and movedforward one-minute; and two contacts carried thereby would cause thesecondary clock to be operated every half minute and moved forward onehalf minute and four contacts would cause the said secondary clock to beoperated every dogs engage teeth of the propelling wheel of thesecondary clock. This statement is used in a broad and liberal sense.

What I claim is:

1. In a mechanism for producing step by.

step rotary motion, the combination with a propelling wheel, of aweighted primary propelling lever suspended like a pendulum, adog-equipped secondary propelling lever, said primary lever being freeto swing in one direction only from normal position in respect to saidsecondary lever, and means for intermittently moving said secondarylever so as to force said weighted primary lever from its neutralposition, and render the same, under return movement, operative on saidsecondary lever to cause the dog thereof to impart a step of rotarymovement to said propelling wheel.

2. In a mechanism for producing step by step rotary motion, thecombination with a propelling wheel, of a weighted primary propellinglever suspended like a pendulum, a dog-equipped secondary propellinglever, said primary lever being free to swing in one direction only fromnormal position in respect to said secondary lever, means forintermittently moving said secondary lever so as to force said weightedprimary lever from its neutral position, and render the same, underreturn movement, operative on said secondary lever to cause the dogthereof to impart a step of rotary movement to said propelling wheel,and means for limiting the angle of action of said dogequipped secondarylever.

3. In a mechanism for producing step by step rotary motion, thecombination with a toothed propelling wheel, of a weightedprimarypropelling lever suspended like a pendulum, a dog-equippedsecondary propelling lever, said primary lever being free to swing inone direction only from normal position in respect to said secondarylever, means for intermittently moving said secondary lever so as toforce said weighted primary lever from its neutral position, and renderthe same, under return movement, operative on said secondary lever tocause the dog thereof to impart a step of rotary movement to saidpropelling wheel, at least one controlling dog operative on said toothedpropelling wheel to prevent irregular forward movements thereof, and amember carried by said dog-equipped lever for intermittently releasingsaid controlling dog for engagement with the teeth of said propellingwheel.

4. In a mechanism for producing step by step rotary motion, thecombination with a propelling wheel, of a weighted primary propellinglever suspended like a pendulum, a dog-equipped secondary propellinglever, an armature connected to the latter, said primary lever beingfree to swing in one di- 1 rection only from normal position in respectto said secondary lever, a controlling circuit including anelectro-magnet operating on said armature to move said secondary leverso as to force said weighted primary lever from its neutral position,and render the same under return movement, operative on said secondarylever, to cause the dog thereof to impart a step of rotary movement tosaid propelling wheel. 7

5. In a mechanism for producing step by step rotary motion, thecombination with a propelling wheel, of a weight driven dog equippedtwo-part propelling lever suspended like a pendulum, the sections ofwhich have a relative movement in one direction and means forintermittently moving said propelling lever from a neutral position andfor releasing the same, and thereby rendering the dog thereof operativeon said propelling wheel to impart a step of rotary movement theretowhen the said lever is swung back by gravity from its displaced positionto its neutral position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD F. GEIGER. Witnesses:

CHAS. A. BRONSON, HUGH L. JOYCE.

